Provincial Grand Lodge Of Cornwall.

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF CORNWALL .

From the " W ESTERN MORNING NEWS . "

THE Annual Provincial Grand Lodge and General Communication of the Freemasons of the province of Cornwall was held on Thursday , 5 th inst . The place of meeting was Launcestou , or Dunheved , or Llanstephadon , as that ancient corporate township is variously recorded in its early history . Lauuceston stands on the main coach road through the centre of Cornwall , but from one of

those odd changes effected in railway times by the innovations of the iron road is now difficult of access from the greater part of Cornwall . Notwithstanding that inconvenience there was , however , a large attendance of the officers of the province at Thursday ' s meeting , many of them having slept at Plymouth or Tavistock the previous night ; over 400 were present . The Provincial Grand Lodge was

opened at the Western Subscription Rooms , at 10 . 30 a . m ., by the R . W . the P . G . M ., tbe Right Hon . the Earl of Mount Edgecurnbe , supported by the acting officers of the Provincial Grand Lodge , of whom the following were in their places : —R . W . Bro . E . T . Carlyon Deputy P . G . M . pro tern , W . Bros , the Rev . G . L . Church , E . Dixon Anderton , the Rev . J . B . Jones M . A ., W . Tweedy , VV . Jenkins , R .

John , J . Cardew , T . White , J . W . Chogwidden , T . Gill , J . Vivian , R . Carter , A . T . Grant , W . Rooks , T . Webber , 0 . G . Archer , G . Barnes , T . C . Polglaze , J . Burgess , VV . Tonkin , T . C . Stephens , and VV . Rusden Prov . Grand Tyler . The room was tastefully fitted up with the banners of the Order , the usual Masonic insignia , national colours and festoons of foliage . Among the additional officers present were

also the following : —W . Bros . VV . J . Hughan , Col . Peard , J . George Mason , F . J . Hext , T . Geach , I . Latimer , H . G . Colvill , the Rev . G . Ross , Rev . W . S . Sloane Evans , Rev . H . A . Noel , Rev . VV . H . Bloxsome , E . Holmes , W . Lake , C . T . Peurce , VV . H . Bickford , H . Cochrane , S . Holloway , D . H . W . Horlock , W . N . Glencross , W . D . Pearse , E . Aitken Davies , Jno . Da Pre , J . M . HiQey , N . B . Bullen , VV .

Guy , W . VV . Dymond , E . A . Courtney , J . H . Tonkin , S . Willonghby , C . Fox , & o . & a , & c . The minutes of tho last meeting of the P . G . Lodge , held at Fal - mouth , 22 nd June 1876 , were read by W . Bro . R . John , aud confirmed At that meeting it was resolved— " That the brethren of the Prov . G . Lodge desire to record their gratitude to the Great Architect of

the Universe for the safe return of their Most Worshipful Brother His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales , Grand Master of England , from India ; " and the Secretary was directed to communicate that resolution to His Royal Highness . Bro . John read the following letter in reply from Sir William Knollys : — "Marlborough House , Pail-Mall , S . W ., 8 th July 1876 : —

Sir William Knollys is desired by the Prince of Wales to thank the P . G . M . ancl the Free and Accepted Masons of tho province of Cornwall for the address of welcome and for their congratulations on his safe return from India . It is a source of great thankfulness to his Royal Highness that he has been enabled , by a visit to one of the most important possessions of the British Crown , to acquire a personal

knowledge of its characteristic features , its interests and institntions , and to promote , by intercourse with all classes of its inhabitants , the friendly feelings which it is so essential should subsist between tho Mother Country and every part of her vast empire . To the Earl of Mount Edgecurnbe . " The reply was received with warm appreciation , and direction given to record it on tho minutes .

The annual statement of the P . G . Treasurer was read by tho Treasurer ( W . Bro . W . Tweedy ) . It showed ou receipts for the year balance from last account , £ 58 6 s 10 c !; collected in church after sermon , at Falmouth , £ 15 8 s 4 d ; fees , £ L 7 6 s 6 d ; dues from Lodges , £ 153 8 s 6 d ; dispensations , £ 2 5 s ; Total , £ 246 15 s 2 d . Expenditure for the year , £ 160 6 s 4 d . Balance in hand , £ 86 8 s lOd .

W . Bro . R . John read the following Secretary s report : — "Province of Cornwall . —Number of Lodges in the Province , 27 . For the year 1876—Number of initiations , 155 ; joining members , 40 ; previous members , 1272 ; total , 1467 . 1875—Number of initiations 167 ; joining members , 64 ; previous members , 1272 ; total , 1433 . Decrease in 1876 as against 1875 , 12 initiations ; ditto decrease

joining members , 24 , increase of membership to carry on 70 ; clear increase during tho past year , 34 . I must congratulate the province on the fact that the returns for the past year still show an increase in our ranks , and from what I have been able to collect from those returns I should certainly gather that the advice of our Provincial Grand Master has had its effect , ancl that

the new additions during the last year are , taken altogether , an evident improvement . I much wish that in each year every Master and Secretary of his Lodge , on leaving office , would be good enough to hand over at once all papers and returns to their successors , so that unnecessary correspondence and delay may be saved . —E . T . Carlyon P . G . Sec . Both reports were unanimously received and adopted .

Bro . J . C . R . Crews , the assistant-secretary of tho " Cornwall Masonic Annuity and Benevolent Fund , " read the report of the committee of the fund . It stated receipts—Balance from last account , £ 123 17 s 6 d ; donations aud subscriptions for the year from the Lodges and brethren , £ 154 14 s , a decrease of £ -1 2 s 6 d from the results from the like source in tho previous year ; vote of P . G . L ., £ 25 ,

part of collection at church , £ 6 3 s 4 d ; interest on Cornwall Railway Stock , £ 20 4 s 5 d ; Great Western ditto , £ 9 17 s Gel ; Russian Bonds ( since sold ) , £ 9 17 s 6 d ; Debenture Trnst Fund , £ 7 8 s 2 d ; Pennsylvania Mortgage Bonds , £ 5 18 s 6 d ; total , £ 239 3 s 5 d . Result of sale of Russian Bonds , £ 456 19 s Od ; total , £ 819 19 s lid ; expenditure £ 49 3 s 3 d ; purchase of £ 600 of the West Hartlepool Rail 4 per cent .

Stock , £ 612 8 s 6 d ; balance on account of the trustees at tho Cornish Bank , £ 158 8 s 2 d ; total , £ 819 19 s lid . Two vacancies for annuities had been declared , and there were two candidates for election , one from the Love and Honour Lodge , Falmouth , tho other from the Peace and Harmony Lodge , at St . Austell . The committee appointed at the last P . G . L . meeting , to revise the rules of the fund , had met ,

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Cornwall.

and the alterations suggested by them had been forwarded to each Lodge , and would be submitted foe the approval of the G . Lodge . The report was adopted , and W . Bros . J . M . Thomas and H . G . Colvill appointed scrutineers of the votes at tho election for the annuitants . The result was that both candidates were elected , one by 507 , tho other by 506 votes .

A communication was received from Bro . Reginald Rogers D . P . G . Master , stating his inability , from severe illness , to fulfil the duties of Treasurer to the Annuity and Benevolent Fund , and requesting tha acceptance of his resignation . He thanked the brethren for the previous kind confidence they had placed in him for so many years ,

but stated his belief that his labours for Masonry were over , and that he did not believe he should meet them in the Lodge again . The resignation was accepted , but great regret expressed at tho declining health of Bro . R . Rogers , aud a voto passed to that effect , which waa desired to be communicated to him . The P . G . M . undertaking thatfraternal office .

W . Bro . W . Tweedy was elected Treasurer to the Fund . The Secretary , Bro . T . Chirgwin , whose absence was apologised for by Bro . Hughan , was re-elected , and W . Bros . J . M . Thomas and H . G . Colvill elected the auditors . The whole of the proposed alterations in the rules of the Annuity ancl Benevolent Fund recommended by the committee were

unanimously adopted , without discussion . VV . Bro . VV . Tweedy read the report of the committee of relief , which stated that during the past year two brethren had been relieved . Petitions had been received from two brethren of 450 and 699 Lodges , ancl two widows of 977 and 450 Lodges , and finding that the bye-laws had been complied with in each case , and that in

the opinion of the committee the cases were very deserving , it was recommended that gratuities of £ 8 , £ 10 , £ 5 and £ 10 be respective l y granted . The committee would hope in future that applicants for relief being widows would not look on that as tho only fund , bub would make application to the Cornwall Masonic Annuity and Benevolent Fund also . —Adopted .

W . Bro . Hughan read his report on the management of the votes of Cornwall for the great Masonic Charities of London . He begged to thank the P . G . M . and P . G . Lodge for their kindly placing the sum of twenty guineas in his name on the list of the Royal Masonio Institution for Boys ( for which he was acting as Steward ) in lieu of payment of his out-of-pocket expenses , which he declined . It in .

creased his list as Steward in a very pleasant manner , and raised the total to over £ 450 , which was the largest single list in England for 1876 . They had no candidates for the Royal Masonio Institutions for Girls or Boys at the October and April elections for 1876-7 , so the votes for those Charities were utilised for the Royal Masonio Benevolent Institution , ancl secured the election of the brother who

was a candidate for that Charity . They had now four of those annuitants , and from that fund they were receiving £ 152 per annum . They had also a girl in the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls . He was glad , also , to state that at present tho Prvince owed no votes to anyone . They had votes to receive from the P . G . L . of Devon in April 1878 , having assisted that province to the utmost in obtaining

the election of their candidates , aud whenever the province of Cornwall wanted to borrow a thousand votes its credit was sufficiently good to be able to get them . ( Hear ) . That report was received and adopted . The P . G . M . said it was a most satisfactory report , and did great credit to Bro . Hughan for the assiduity , zeal ancl success he

exhibited in the matter . The Committee of Relief was appointed as follows : —Bros . Anderton , Truscott , ancl Holloway—with the Prov . G . Treasurer , and Prov . G . Secretary ; Bros . Rogers and Hughan having resigned . W . Bro . Hughan then proposed that the fees to Prov . G . Lodge be increased to 5 s instead of 3 s on the initiation of a candidate . The

former , he said , was the general fee paid iu other provinces , and although a trifle to each Lodgo it would amount in the aggregate to a sum worth obtaining . Cornwall had been very successful with the Charities , but to keep up that prosperity it was necessary to maintain its character for contributions to those , and this money would become useful in increasing them . The proposed increase fee on a brother

joining a Lodge , he said , he must withdraw , as it was found to clash with the present rule of G . Lodge . The propositions . were seconded and unanimously adopted . On the question of the grants to the Cornwall Masonic Annuity Fund ancl the great Masonic Charities , £ 25 was voted to the Cornwall Fund , and Bro . Hnghan renewed his advocacy of the great Masonic Charities being liberally supported by

Cornwall , on account of the amount that province was receiving from them . The P . G . M . said perhaps it was advisable that he should take a Stewardship for the Royal Masonic Benevolent Fund , and stated hia intention of so doing . £ 50 was voted to the Charity , and Bro . Hughan hoped that the P . G . M . wonld be so well supported in hia

Stewardship that his list on the occasion would be one second to none in England . This concluding a large portion of the business , the Lodge proceeded in procession , in full regalia , with banners and emblems displayed , ancl headed by tho Lauuceston Volunteer Band , to the Church of St . Mary Magdalene , where an eloquent sermon was preached by the Rev . J . B . Jones to a crowded congregation , on the

text 1 st Epistle of Peter , Chapter ii , verse 17 . An offertory was made , the proceeds of which was appropriated in accordance with former custom—two-fifths to a local charity , the Rowe Dispensary ; two-fifths to the Benevolent Fund ; and one-fifth to the clergyman , for charitable distribution . The brethren then returned in procession to the Subscription Room . Redruth was selected as the jiext place of meeting , and tho following officers were invested for the ensuing ?

year : —E . VV . Bro . Sir F . M . Williams , Bart , M . F ., D . P . G . M ., W . Bros . D . H . VV . Horlock P . G . S . VV . 789 , T . C . Stephens P . G . J . VV . 1151 , the Rev . J . B Jones P . G . S . Chap . 1272 , the Rev . F . Wintle P . G . J . Chap . 893 , VV . Tweedy who had been re-elected P . G . T . 331 , J . F . Childs P . G . Reg . 510 , E . T . Carlyon P . G . Sec . 331 , T . Webber P . S . D . 75 , J . Hawkins P . J . D . 789 , J . Burgess P . G . S . Wks . 1006 , J . H . Reynolds P . G . D . C . 589 , T . 0 . Polglaze P . G . A . D . C . 75 , W . E , Michel !